Fastening device



Aug. 28, 1923, 1,466,347 I J. v. WASHBURNE I FASTENING DEVICE FiledMarch 29. 1921 INVENTOR/ rit/aw) A ATTORNEY.S

TO aZZ w/zomit may concern:

* JAMES v. vrasrinu snnor FULTON, new YonK.

FASTEJING DEVICE.

Application filed hiareh 29 v. wise- Be it known that 1, JAMES comm, acitizen of the United States and a resident of Fulton, in the county ofand State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful FasteningDevice, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to fastening devices, particularly of the typewhich include a pair of opposed jaws or members connectedat one end andadapted to be clamped over the sheets of paper or other material whichare to be fastened together and has for its object to provide afastening device of this type in which the jaws fold relatively to theconnecting member along independent lines spaced from each other toprovide a relat-ively wide bend for the accommodation of said sheetswithout causing said jaws to diverge toward their free ends. Other objects of the invention will appear from the description hereinafterandthe features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings which illustrateexamples of the invention without defining its limits and in whichFigure 1 is a plan view ofone form of my fastener; Fig. 2 is anelevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the fastener,sheets of paperbeing shown as held by the fastener; Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the fastener; Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views ofother forms of my fastener; Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are blanks of the fastenershown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6; and Fig. 10 is a perspective View of thepreferred form of fastener.

This fastening device comprises generally, two members or jaws whichface each other and extend in the same direction from an end memberwhereby said jaws are con nected at one end, the other or free ends ofsaid members being compressible toward each other, and the jaws ormembers being connected to the end member in such a manner that eachfolds along its own folding line relatively to the end member; that is,

the jaws fold relatively to the end member along independentsubstantially parallel lines spaced from each other One of the membersor jaws is preferably provided with a punch or prong projecting towardthe other, in which case the other jaw or member has a perforation forreceiving the punch or pron Oswego 1921. Serial No. 456,765.

The fastening device or fastener, as devices of this character aregenerally known, is preferably stamped or struck up from a sheetmetalblank 1 to form the jaws or membersQ, 3 which face each other and extendin the same direction from an end member {i whereby said jaws areconnected at one end, the jawsbeing foldable relatively to said endmember along independent lines 5; 6 respectively, said lines 5 and 6being spaced apart in substantially parallel relation, as shown in thedrawings.

In order to automatically predetermine or define these folding lines 5,,6 the fastener may be weakened along parallel lines at the bases of thejaws 2, 3, that is, at the junc notches 9 in the edges of the fastenerlnear' said part; in Figs. 6 and 9, the folding lines are defined bycorresponding recesses in the form of V shaped notches l0located inpairs at opposite edges of said fastener. In any case, what may betermed a folding bar is provided upon which the jaws are positively Iand automatically bent- It will be understoodthat the above are onlyexamples and that the device may beconstructed in any other suitablemanner whereby the folding lines are defined in the predeterminedmanner. By reason of the two lines of fold 5, 6, a relatively wide bendis provided so that when thefastener is attached to sheets of paper orother material, thejaws will either lie parallel or converge toward eachother instead of diverging from each other, as is the case with existingstructures in which the jaws are directly connected at one end withoutthe interposition of an end member or the like. Thus, when a number ofbunches of'paper, each secured together by fasteners of the hereindescribed construction, are lying one upon the other, the papers of onebunch will not catch in the fastener of another bunch. In other words,the jaws of the fastener lie smoothly or flatwise on th paper. One ofthe jaws,

preferably stamped therefrom and which forcing the same out of registryspond in shape to that of the prong l1 and,

thus,as shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, may be in the form of anelongated slot or rectangular opening to acconnnodate the fiat prong 11of the illustratedexample. lln such case, the slot or openingextendstrans? yersely oi the space enclosed by the rib 13 and provides at leastone web 1-1 within said rib 13, over which web thepoint of the punch orprong 11 may be clinched, it de sired. The raised rib 13 is preferablyareshaped in cross-section although this is not essential, it beingunderstood that said rib may be omitted if desired. .Vhen the rib 13 isinterrupted as shown in Fig. 10 a web is provided'between adjacent endsof the interrupted web, over which web the prong may be clinched asdescribed above.

Because provision is made in the improved fastener to definepredetermined folding lineswhich are spaced from each other, the jaws ormembers 2 and 3 may be bent relatively to the end member 4: withoutmaterial etl'ort, lVhen so bent, a relatively wide bend is provided inwhich a maximum number of sheets may be accommodated without *ith eachother and without causing the jaws 2 and 3 to diverge outwardly towardthe.r tree ends.

The fastener is economical and easy to produce, is easily applied to aplurality of sheets or detached therefrom and in its operresent? tromsheet metal cesses spaced apart to define parallel, spaced bending linesonwhich'said jaws automatic ally bend relatively to said end member intoopposed, spaced relation to each other, and a punch carried by one ofsaid jaws.

2. A. fastener struck up from sheet metal and consisting of an endmember, jaws com prising integral extensions of said end memher, saidfastener being formed with closed recesses located entirely within theconfines :01? the fastener and spaced apart to define parallel, spacedbending lines on which said jaws automatically bend relatively to saidend member into opposed, spaced relation to each other, one of said jawsbeing provided with an aperture, a raised rib on said jaw following theperiphery of said aperture, and a punch on the other aw adapted to entersaid aperture.

3. A fastener struck up from sheet metal and comprising connected jaws,one of which is provided with an opening, an interrupted raised rib onsaid jaw and extending about said opening to forma web between itsadjacent ends and a prong on the other jaw adapted to be projectedthrough said opening and clinched over said web;

In testimony whereof-I havehereunto set my hand.

JAMES v. wasnnnnur.

